Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Oregon Smoothie Bowl Recipe

The smoothie bowl is the latest craze in healthy eating. It's all about making the most nutrition-packed bowl you can... but it should also be pretty! Just look at Instagram, for reference. Every foodie worth their salt is posting a smoothie bowl photo. I don't want to be just another follower trying to keep up with the latest trends, but the smoothie bowl photos I've seen were too gorgeous to ignore. I decided to make my own version to add to the conversation.From what I read about smoothie bowls, the point is to make it thicker than a regular smoothie. If you can simply drink it, why even bother with putting it in a bowl, right? It has to be worth your while to lose the mobility that makes smoothies to convenient. The smoothie bowl should also have a variety of toppings which isn't typically a feature of a cup smoothie. The ingredients of these bowls are typically fruits, vegetables, and nuts. In Oregon, it is now the perfect time of year to forage through the supermarket for fresh ingredients because so many delicious items are in season.

I was inspired by all of the fresh Oregon produce. I decided to make my smoothie bowl only with ingredients found in Oregon. There are berries galore, nutritious greens, seeds, and crunchy nuts- everything needed to make a hearty and healthy smoothie bowl.

To make the bowl creamy and add an extra kick of protein, I mixed in Tillamook Plain and Simple Greek Yogurt. The thickness is perfect to make the bowl easy to eat by the spoonful, and the tangy flavor offsets the sweetness of the berries. Speaking of berries, I grabbed strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries for my bowl. They were all on sale and begging to join the party.

Kale was my next grab, specifically Italian kale, but traditional will work too. This plant is known for having the most vitamins and nutrients of any green. It has that roughage that makes you feel like early man, eating straight from the earth. On the other hand, it's not exactly the tastiest thing to eat, so blending in with a few cups of berries and yogurt is like the spoonful of sugar to get the medicine down. Make sure to blend the smoothie for at least 2 minutes to get a nice consistency.

When you're ready for toppings, there's nothing more Oregonian than a raw hazelnut. I chopped mine up and threw them on top to add crunch and texture. I also included a handful of raw pumpkin seeds and a few more berries for color. Now we've got ourselves a beautiful Oregon Smoothie Bowl to stand alongside the others on Instagram.

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Oregon Smoothie Bowl

by Holly Pribble May-31-2016

Nutritious bowl inspired by the beaver state.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Tillamook Plain Greek Yogurt

2 cups Fresh mixed berries

3 Chopped organic kale leaves

1 tbsp Honey

2 tbsp Raw pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp Chopped hazelnuts

A few Extra berries for toppings

Instructions

Rinse the berries. I used strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Cut the strawberries in half and remove the green top.Rinse the kale and chop.Blend the yogurt, honey, berries, and kale in a blender for at least 2 minutes on medium to high speed. Pour the smoothie into a small bowl and top with seeds, chopped nuts, and a few berries.